"French corsairs Corsairs () were privateers, authorized to conduct raids on shipping of a nation at war with France, on behalf of the French crown. Seized vessels and cargo were sold at auction, with the corsair captain entitled to a portion of the proceeds. Although not French Navy personnel, corsairs were considered legitimate combatants in France (and allied nations), provided the commanding officer of the vessel was in possession of a valid letter of marque ( or , the latter giving ""corsairs"" their name), and the officers and crew conducted themselves according to contemporary admiralty law. By acting on behalf"
"of ships that preyed on British commerce from the islands were privateers, independently funded armed ships issued with letters of marque giving them permission to attack military and civilian ships belonging to the enemies of France. French naval strategy in the Indian Ocean was so reliant on privateers that entire squadrons developed, including a powerful force under the wealthy privateer captain Robert Surcouf. Although most privateers were small, carrying only a few cannon, some could be very large, rivalling professional warships in size. One such ship was the ""Bellone"", which carried 34 guns, a crew of nearly 200 men and"
"Commerce raiding Commerce raiding is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging its combatants or enforcing a blockade against them. It is also known, in French, as guerre de course (literally, ""war of the chase"") and, in German, Handelskrieg (""trade war""), from the nations most heavily committed to it historically as a strategy. The first sort of commerce raiding was for nations to commission privateers. Early instances of this type of warfare were by the English and Dutch against the Spanish"
"Privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. The commission, also known as a letter of marque, empowers the person to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea by the usages of war, including attacking foreign vessels during wartime and taking them as prizes. Historically, captured ships were subject to condemnation and sale under prize law, with the proceeds divided between the privateer sponsors, shipowners, captains and crew. A percentage share usually went to the issuer of the commission. Since robbery under arms was once common to"
"during the war, the Navy would not have had the authority to do so by itself. Warships were recruited by the insurgent governments during Spanish American wars of independence to destroy Spanish trade, and capture Spanish Merchant vessels. The private armed vessels came largely from the United States. Seamen from Britain, United States and France often manned these ships. Privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. The commission, also known as a letter of marque, empowers the person to carry on all forms of hostility permissible at sea"
"feat, the Continental Congress and the various colonies issued Letters of Marque to privately owned, armed merchant ships known as privateers, which were outfitted as warships to prey on enemy merchant ships. They interrupted the British supply chain all along the eastern seaboard of the United States and across the Atlantic Ocean and the Merchant Marine's role in war began. This predates both the United States Coast Guard (1790) and the United States Navy (1797). During the American Revolution, American ships came under the aegis of France due to a 1778 Treaty of Alliance between the two countries. By 1783,"
"issuing jurisdiction to conduct reprisal operations outside its borders. Popular among Europeans from the late Middle Ages up to the 19th century, cruising for enemy prizes with a letter of marque was considered an honorable calling that combined patriotism and profit. Such privateering contrasted with attacks and captures of random ships, which was unlicensed and known as piracy; piracy was almost universally reviled. In reality, the differences between privateers and pirates were often at best subtle, and at worst more a matter of interpretation. In addition to the meaning of the license itself, the terms letter of marque and privateer"
"word ""corsaire"" may have originated as a mispronunciation of the Arabic word ""qarṣan""; the term ""pirate"" had been in use in French since the Middle Ages. However, Sayyid Sulaimān Nadvī, an Indian Muslim scholar of Islamic studies, says that ""Qarsan ... is the arabicised form of 'Corsair'."" The corsairs were privateers working for the King of France attacking the ships of France's enemies. In France they did not need to fear punishment for piracy—being hanged—as they were granted a licence as combatants, the ""lettre de marque"" or ""lettre de course"", a document which legitimised their actions to the French justice"
"autonomy for privateers and buccaneers. Historically, the Barbary Coast contained a number of pirate havens, notably Salé, Algiers and Tunis. These pirate havens were used by Corsairs from the 16th to the 19th century. The pirates, dubbed ""Barbary Pirates"", ravaged European shipping and enslaved thousands of captives. The Pirate Republic of Salé, in 17th century Morocco, was a micronation with its own seaport argot known as ""Franco,"" since like other pirate states, it from time to time made treaties with European governments, agreeing not to attack their fleets. The United States Navy was founded, in part, to counter the activities"
"varied, privateering generally involved private vessels raiding the ships of an enemy in peacetime under the authority of a ruler. Its purposes were to disrupt an opponent's trade and to reap rewards from the captives and cargo. Privateering was a highly disciplined affair conducted under the command of the rais (captains) of the fleets. Several captains became heroes in Algerian lore for their bravery and skill. The captains of the corsairs banded together in a self-regulating taifa (community) to protect and further the corporate interests of their trade. The taifa came to be ethnically mixed, incorporating those captured Europeans who"
"Insurgent privateer The insurgent privateers (Spanish: corsarios insurgentes) were private armed vessels recruited by the insurgent governments during the Spanish American wars of independence to destroy Spanish trade and capture Spanish merchant vessels. Privateering started early in the war, in 1812. But large scale deployment of warships started between 1816 and 1821, most notably under the flag of Buenos Aires and flag of Artigas. After 1821 and up to 1829, the privateers sailed under the flags of Mexico and Colombia. (Frequently privateers coming from Cartagena, Colombia, were referred to as ""Carthaginians"".) The main motivation of the insurgent privateers was to"
"These privately owned warships were known in Dutch as the ""particulieren"", to distinguish them from the royal warships that were also part of the fleet. At their peak, the Dunkirkers operated about a hundred warships. The crews were mostly made up of Flemish and Walloon sailors, Spaniards and many individuals from the northern Netherlands and other nearby European countries. Apart from targeting trade and fishing, the royal squadron was often used to convoy troops between Spain and the Spanish Netherlands. Despite a near constant blockade of the Dunkirkers' ports by Dutch warships, the privateers routinely managed to evade the blockaders"
"practice. During King George's War, according to Jarvis, ""privateering became widespread, respectable, and even patriotic."" At least fifteen Bermudian privateers operated in the 1740s. State-licensed, privateers had the authority to capture enemy vessels or British vessels engaged in trading contraband. Alternatively, a letter of marque could be issued to a mariner engaged in trade, giving him the authority to seize any vessel they may come across. Vice admiralty courts reviewed the legality of any capture and subsequent distribution of cargo and prizes. Crews were a mixture of free and enslaved labor. Despite close links to the American colonies (and the"
"States had almost nothing to offer in opposition. With no navy yet established, they turned to the alternative of privateering. The word ""privateer"" applies to any private citizen in the world who raises a ship and crew to engage in the destruction of enemy shipping for profit. Although specifically allowing attacks upon enemy warships, privateers are typically amateurs employed against commercial shipping because armed navy ships are more likely to fight back effectively. Privateering is authorized by the issuance of ""letters of marque and reprisal"" by a sponsoring government. It was explicitly allowed by the Confederate Constitution the words of"
"War and 1812, less than 30 years, Britain, France, Naples, the Barbary States, Spain, and the Netherlands seized approximately 2,500 American ships. Payments in ransom and tribute to the Barbary states amounted to 20% of United States government annual revenues in 1800. Throughout the American Civil War, Confederate privateers successfully harassed Union merchant ships. Privateering lost international sanction under the Declaration of Paris in 1856. A wartime activity similar to piracy involves disguised warships called commerce raiders or merchant raiders, which attack enemy shipping commerce, approaching by stealth and then opening fire. Commerce raiders operated successfully during the American Revolution."
"response France authorized privateers to conduct attacks on American shipping, seizing numerous merchant ships, and ultimately leading the U.S. to retaliate. The war was called ""quasi"" because it was undeclared. It involved two years of hostilities at sea, in which both navies and privateers attacked the other's shipping in the West Indies. Many of the battles involved famous naval officers such as Stephen Decatur, Silas Talbot and William Bainbridge. The unexpected fighting ability of the newly re-established U.S. Navy, which concentrated on attacking the French West Indian trade, together with the growing weaknesses and final overthrow of the ruling French"
"Captain Crapo Captain Crapo (fl. 1704–1708) was a French privateer active in the Caribbean and off the American east coast during the War of Spanish Succession. He was highly successful, capturing a large number of English vessels which he sent back to his home ports in Martinique and Port Royal. Crapo’s real name is not known. He is referred to in various accounts as Clapo, Crepo, Crappo, Crapeau, or Crapo. This is an alias; “Crapaud” (“toad” in French) was a nickname given by English, Dutch and others to French sailors and eventually to the French people in general, evolving into"
"with the Royalists, the Lieutenant Governor, George Carteret authorised, in the name of the King, privateering to fund the cost of guarding the Island. Ships captains having to provide a large bond which was forfeit if the ship operated outside its terms of licence. His entrepreneurial views in capturing about 120 prizes for the loss of 12 privateers were rewarded when Charles II granted him land in the Americas, part of which he renamed New Jersey. In 1689 privateering against French shipping was authorised however only 55 licences were issued by 1697. In the late 1690s privateering annoyed the Dutch"
"Letter of marque A letter of marque and reprisal () was a government license in the Age of Sail that authorized a private person, known as a privateer or corsair, to attack and capture vessels of a nation at war with the issuer. Once captured, the privateer could then bring the case of that prize before their own admiralty court for condemnation and transfer of ownership to the privateer. A letter of marque and reprisal would include permission to cross an international border to effect a reprisal (take some action against an attack or injury) and was authorized by an"
"activities, but local officials lamented his success and expected his return: “The knowledge this privateer hath gain'd of our coasts, and the success he has had, will in probability encourage him and others to visit us too often.” Captain Crapo Captain Crapo (fl. 1704–1708) was a French privateer active in the Caribbean and off the American east coast during the War of Spanish Succession. He was highly successful, capturing a large number of English vessels which he sent back to his home ports in Martinique and Port Royal. Crapo’s real name is not known. He is referred to in various"
"War, approximately 36,000 Americans served aboard privateers at one time or another. During the Nine Years War, the French adopted a policy of strongly encouraging privateers, including the famous Jean Bart, to attack English and Dutch shipping. England lost roughly 4,000 merchant ships during the war. In the following War of Spanish Succession, privateer attacks continued, Britain losing 3,250 merchant ships. Parliament passed an updated Cruisers and Convoys Act in 1708 allocating regular warships to the defence of trade. In the subsequent conflict, the War of Austrian Succession, the Royal Navy was able to concentrate more on defending British ships."
"work as a shoemaker to work as a privateer. Such was the success of Enríquez, that he became one of the wealthiest men in the New World. His fleet was composed of approx. 300 different ships during a career that expanded 35 years, becoming a military asset and reportedly outperforming the efficiency of the Armada de Barlovento. Enríquez was knighted and received the title of Don from Philip V, something unheard of due to his ethnic and social background. One of the most famous privateers from mainland Spain was Amaro Pargo. ""Corsairs"" (French: corsaire) were privateers, authorized to conduct raids"
"explicit formal commission, regularly raided shipping of other nations, as in the case of Francis Drake's attacks on Spanish shipping, of which Elizabeth I (despite protestations of innocence) took a share. Grotius's 1604 seminal work on international law, ""De Iure Praedae"" (""Of The Law of Prize and Booty""), was an advocate's brief defending Dutch raids on Spanish and Portuguese shipping. King Henry III of England first issued what later became known as privateering commissions in 1243. These early licences were granted to specific individuals to seize the king’s enemies at sea in return for splitting the proceeds between the privateers"
"A famous Dunkirk privateer from this period was Jean Bart. Dunkirkers During the Dutch Revolt (1568–1648), the Dunkirkers or Dunkirk Privateers were commerce raiders in the service of the Spanish monarchy. They were also part of the ""Dunkirk fleet"", which consequently was a part of the Spanish monarchy's ""Flemish fleet"" ""(Armada de Flandes)"". The Dunkirkers operated from the ports of the Flemish coast: Nieuwpoort, Ostend, and Dunkirk. Throughout the Eighty Years' War, the fleet of the Dutch Republic repeatedly tried to destroy the Dunkirkers. The first Dunkirkers sailed a group of warships outfitted by the Spanish government, but non-government investment"
"as privateers, aimed at destroying the trade of the Maritime Powers. Vauban argued that this strategic change would deprive the enemy of its economic base without costing Louis XIV money that was far more urgently needed to maintain France's armies on land. Privateers cruising either as individuals or in complete squadrons from Dunkirk, St Malo and the smaller ports, achieved significant success. For example, in 1695, the Marquis of Nesmond, with seven ships of the line, captured vessels from the English East India Company that were said to have yielded 10 million livres. In May 1696, Jean Bart slipped the"
"hanged. Fowey Gallants The Fowey Gallants or the Gallants of Fowey, was group of privateers and pirates who operated out of the port of Fowey, in Cornwall, during the Hundred Years' War in the 14th and 15th centuries. The port was given licences to attack and seize French vessels in the English Channel, following the assistance the port had given during the Siege of Calais and the Battle of Agincourt. Many foreign vessels and some English vessels were seized and these activities became very profitable for the corrupt port. Notable privateers included Mark Mixtow, who was a licensed privateer with"
"seaborne trade, all merchant ships were already armed. During war, naval resources were auxiliary to operations on land so privateering was a way of subsidizing state power by mobilizing armed ships and sailors. In practice the legality and status of privateers historically has often been vague. Depending on the specific government and the time period, letters of marque might be issued hastily and/or the privateers might take actions beyond what was authorized by the letters. The privateers themselves were often simply pirates who would take advantage of wars between nations to gain semi-legal status for their enterprises. By the end"
"enterprising maritime raiders commonly took advantage of ""flag of convenience"" letters of marque, shopping for cooperative governments to license and legitimize their depredations. French/Irishman Captain Luke Ryan and his lieutenants in just over two years commanded six vessels under the flags of three different nations and on opposite sides in the same war. Likewise the notorious Lafitte brothers in New Orleans cruised under letters of marque secured by bribery from corrupt officials of tenuous Central American governments, to cloak plunder with a thin veil of legality. The letter of marque by its terms required privateers to bring captured vessels and"
"was commanded by Captain Jacques François Perroud, a notorious privateer who had caused significant damage to British trade in the Indian Ocean. In 1803, Perroud had gained significant notoriety with the capture of the valuable East Indiaman ""Lord Nelson"" on 14 August 1803. The principal target of the privateers were the East Indiamen, huge and well-armed merchant vessels operated by the Honourable East India Company, which controlled British mercantile operations to the east of Africa. These ships often weighed over 1,000 tons and carried as many as 30 cannon, although their crews were not military men and they could not"
"to the value of £900,000 and continued to operate during the Napoleonic Wars. (Of course, profitable cruises paid for unprofitable ones, including cruises in which the enemy captured the privateer before it had captured anything.) Although privateering commissions and letters of marque were originally distinct legal concepts, such distinctions became purely technical by the eighteenth century. The United States Constitution, for instance, states that ""The Congress shall have Power To ... grant Letters of marque and reprisal ..."", without separately addressing privateer commissions. During the American War of Independence, Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812, it was common to"
"of the French Crown, if captured by the enemy, they could in principle claim treatment as prisoners of war, instead of being considered pirates. Because corsairs gained a swashbuckling reputation, the word ""corsair"" is also used generically as a more romantic or flamboyant way of referring to privateers, or even to pirates. The Barbary pirates of North Africa as well as the Ottoman Empire were sometimes called ""Turkish corsairs"". The word ""corsair"" comes directly from the French word ""corsaire"", itself borrowed from the Italian ""corsaro"". This derives from the Latin ""cursus"", meaning ""course"" (as in journey or expedition). The French"
"of the 19th century the practice of issuing letters of marque had fallen out of favor because of the chaos it caused and its role in inadvertently encouraging piracy. A privateer is similar to a mercenary except that, whereas a mercenary group receives a set fee for services and generally has a formal reporting structure within the entity that hires them, a privateer acts independently with generally no compensation unless the enemy's property is captured. The letter of marque of a privateer would typically limit activity to one particular ship, and specified officers. Typically, the owners or captain would be"
"glass, emigrants and wine. Trading mainly with Europe, the West Indies and the Americas. Privateering during the Napoleonic Wars generated more profits, rolling on from the French Revolutionary Wars. London issued 5,632 letters of Marque of which Guernsey captains received 602, amongst around 70 ships varying in size from 5 to 500 ton. The Letter of Marque would set out which countries ships could be taken, by which ship, owned by which people. Ships also became stronger and better armed. The war saw the introduction of a series of UK Privateer Acts, to set out rules of valuation of prizes"